The unified ‘Indian Literature’ was assembled alongside a canonical syndicated Hinduism.

Evidence

The actual etiquettes of the Orientalisr readings, selections, emphases, meanwhile, are hardly ever interrogated, nor is it common to challenge the ideological grid which accounts for assembling that particular kind of narrative, which itself greatly contributes to creating a single canonicity of the literary and the religious texts. For the historical moment in which this particular idea of an ‘Indian Literature’ came into being was also that same moment in which a canonical kind of ‘Hinduism’ (‘syndicated Hinduism’, in Romila Thapar’s telling phrase) was also assembled, more or less on the model of the Semitic religions, with notions of uniform beliefs, canonical texts, prophe- tic traditions, clerical institutions, ad judicable bodies of prescriptions, and all the rest. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 1142

Categorization

• XREF: Directly parallels the reader’s core research: an essentialist single-category identity (Indian Literature / Hinduism) was historically constructed in a specific moment, not held ironically or strategically by anyone — evidence against essentialism ever being merely a native given. — connects to: The modern concept of Indian Literature and canonical Hinduism were fabricated together. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Nations, Classes, Literatures, 509; Orientalist scholarship constructed ‘Indian Literature’ as Sanskritic, religious, and North Indian, excluding Tamil. — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Classes, Nations, Literatures, 1134; Indian literature’s unity is an effect of geography and the nation-state — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory: Nations, Classes, Literatures, 512 (+1 more)
• QUESTION: The passage trails mid-word (‘prophe-’); does Ahmad go on to detail this construction of canonical Hinduism further? Worth chasing in later chapters for the lineage of constructed essentialist identity.
• SEED: The parallel construction of ‘Indian Literature’ and ‘syndicated Hinduism’ at one historical moment supports an essay on how composite essentialist identities get assembled top-down.

Broader Connections

• The modern concept of Indian Literature and canonical Hinduism were fabricated together. #corroborates (0.95) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 509
• Orientalist scholarship constructed ‘Indian Literature’ as Sanskritic, religious, and North Indian, excluding Tamil. #expands (0.80) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 1134
• Indian literature’s unity is an effect of geography and the nation-state #qualifies (0.75) — Aijaz Ahmad, In Theory, 512